


Death Gate Ketek

by talesofsymphoniac



Category: The Death Gate Cycle - Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
Genre: During Canon, Gen, Parallels, Poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-16 13:12:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18094958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talesofsymphoniac/pseuds/talesofsymphoniac
Summary: A long-form ketek poem on the events of Death Gate Cycle.





	Death Gate Ketek

**Author's Note:**

> [[In the Stormlight Archive series,] a ketek is a form of holy Vorin poetry which reads the same forward and backward (allowing for changes in verb form), and is also divisible into five sections, each of which also expresses a complete thought.](https://coppermind.net/wiki/Ketek)
> 
>  
> 
> I wrote this poem a while ago and thought I'd put it here, too.

_ Alone, fighting again, _

_ Never is he fully content, now, but rueful. _

_ Found and lost: her face to time. _

_ Their love destroyed. _

_ Eternal enemy-- weak and foolish-- appears, _

_ Anger overwhelms. _

 

_ Light: distrust (or prejudice), no coexistence to hope for. _

_ Fighting, they find themselves trapped, _

_ Though bright cities shelter their survivors. _

_ Memories, painful-- of home, the Labyrinth, the death of generations-- to him, return. _

_ Hands-- Alfred’s-- grasp his. _

_ Rival, yet desiring no final injury. _

_ Illusions, deceivers, the dead seeking living men; _

_ An escape, possibly a beginning friendship. _

 

_ The punishment: leader cruelly banishes the heart. _

_ His return to journeying; _

_ The close companions helping him see, _

_ That enemy (his friend): the compassionate claims power, _

_ The powerful reclaims compassion. _

_ The friend (his enemy), that sees him help companions, closing the journey to return his heart. _

_ The banishment: cruel leader punishing the friendship, beginning a possible escape. _

 

_ A man, living, seeks death. _

_ The deceivers’ illusions injure. _

_ Finally: No desire yet rivals his grasp. _

_ Alfred’s hands return him to generations of death:  _

_ The Labyrinth, the home of painful memories. _

 

_ Survivors, their shelter city bright, _

_ Though trapped themselves, find they fight for hope to coexist. _

_ No prejudice or distrust:  _

_ Light overwhelms, anger appears foolish and weak, _

_ Enmity eternally destroyed; love, theirs. _

_ Time to face her loss, and find Rue, _

_ But now content, fully: _

_ He is never again fighting alone. _

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me at [deathgatesideblog.tumblr.com!](deathgatesideblog.tumblr.com)


End file.
